With Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham in action today, United had an opportunity to enhance their position in the standings, but were second best in the opening half at Carrow Road.

Danny Welbeck replaced Ryan Giggs at half-time and netted on 57 minutes after Ryan Bennett’s clearance ricocheted off Javier Hernandez and into the substitute’s path. Welbeck rounded John Ruddy before tucking in for his fourth goal in four Premier League games.

United, without striker Wayne Rooney, held on to claim a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Hull City scored four times in the opening 23 minutes of the second half in their 6-0 defeat of Fulham, who have lost nine of their last 11 top-flight fixtures.

Ahmed Elmohamady, Robert Koren, George Boyd and Tom Huddlestone were on target, before Matty Fryatt and Koren, with his second, made it six in a miserable Fulham performance.

Huddlestone’s goal came on his 27th birthday and means the former Tottenham midfielder can now have a hair cut after a two-year scoring drought. He celebrated by having a lock of his hair cut by the Hull physio.

Aston Villa ended a run of four straight losses by drawing 1-1 with 11th-placed Swansea, who are five points clear of the relegation zone in a congested table.

Villa took a seventh-minute lead through Gabriel Agbonlahor, after neat link-up play between the forward and Andreas Weimann. Swansea responded nine minutes before the break when Roland Lamah converted Pablo Hernandez’s cross for his first goal in England.

In the day’s early kick-off, West Ham and West Brom played out an entertaining 3-3 draw.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce had labelled the game a “must win” for his side, who remain without a league victory in December.

Joe Cole’s opening goal was cancelled out by a Nicolas Anelka double in the striker’s first match in more than two months.

Two goals in two minutes from half-time substitute Modibo Maiga and skipper Kevin Nolan put West Ham back in front but Saido Berahino levelled and neither side could find a winner.